The opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics is now in progress, following initial challenges faced by the summer games. These include suspected acts of sabotage targeting France’s high-speed rail network and rainy weather over the Seine river, where athletes are expected to parade.
Snoop Dog watches with Simone Biles’ mom
Snoop Dogg, who ran with the torch earlier on Friday, appeared on the NBC broadcast of the opening ceremony with the family of Simone Biles.
Simone Biles could not participate in the opening ceremony as she is preparing for competition on Sunday.
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Nellie Biles took the opportunity to inform Snoop Dogg that he had met the family before, which was news to the musical artist.
“I didn’t know this, Nellie,” he said with surprise. Biles’ mother then recounted an encounter in 2010 in Times Square when they asked the artist for a photo with the budding gymnast, “and you said ‘2 minutes. One, two.’ And then you were gone.”
Snoop Dogg laughed, and Nellie Biles then tried to Facetime her daughter to give Simone the chance to speak to Snoop.
Rain continues to fall
Rain ponchos and umbrellas are being used in the stands as the drizzle continues.
One man approached a volunteer, asking: “Do you guys have ponchos to give out?”
Despite the rain, the atmosphere in the stands is lively, with people dancing to music playing over the river.
Fans watching on TV further down the Seine await the parade
Fans in seating sections further down the opening ceremony route had to watch the parade on large screens until the boats carrying the athletes reached their location.
The fans responded with applause and cheers to the parade. Rain during parts of the parade prompted fans to use umbrellas and raincoats.
NBC highlights commercial-free hour of the opening ceremony
For viewers in the U.S., the opening ceremony will have a commercial-free first hour.
NBC mentioned that this is the first time the U.S. broadcaster has had a commercial-free hour for the opening ceremony. Instead of commercials, brand logos for six sponsors are rotating throughout the hour.
Order of nations explained
In case you were wondering why nations are not entering the opening ceremony in alphabetical order, they actually are.
Greece, being the originator of the ancient games, almost always enters the ceremony first as per Olympic tradition (although the most recent exception was in 2004, when Greece hosted the Athens Games).
The Refugee Team now enters second, followed by nations in alphabetical order according to the French alphabet.
Australia enters second-to-last because it will host the 2032 Brisbane Games, the U.S. follows next to last as it will host the 2028 Los Angeles Games, and host France will be the final nation to make its entrance at the River Seine.
Lady Gaga’s cabaret show pre-recorded
Singer and actress Lady Gaga performed a cabaret number on a golden staircase beside the Seine, emerging from behind pink feathers. The act was pre-recorded and then shown on television broadcasts.
Lady Gaga sang the French song “Mon truc en plumes” (“My thing in feathers”) by Zizi Jeanmaire. She was accompanied by 10 dancers and 17 musicians, all wearing costumes from House of Dior, which is owned by a major Olympic sponsor.
Refugee team catches the attention of Stephen Curry
The Refugee team, composed of 37 athletes from 11 countries of origin representing the world’s displaced population of over 100 million people, was the second team in the procession of athletes.
And it has already captured the attention of U.S. basketball star Stephen Curry.
“It shines a light,” Curry said. “It’s an amazing opportunity to be on an amazing stage. To compete, glad that there’s space for those athletes to come represent themselves. I’m going to be a fan. I’m going to watch all the sports, all the events and I’m going to watch them, too.”
The refugee team was created by the IOC for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro to allow athletes to keep competing, even if they have been forced to leave their home countries.
There were 10 refugee athletes in Rio, then 29 at the Tokyo Games three years ago.
Insight into Afghanistan’s participation in the Olympics
There are six Afghan athletes taking part in the Olympics — three men and three women. According to the IOC, five are based outside Afghanistan while one is based within the country.
The Afghan National Olympic Committee, which was elected before the Taliban seized power, had to confirm that their athletes were not associated with the de facto Taliban authorities of the country, the IOC mentioned.
Countries sharing large boats
Not all countries had their individual boats in the opening ceremony. Up to five countries shared some vessels.
The first boat shared athletes from Afghanistan, South Africa, Albania, Algeria, and Germany. Following them was another boat filled with representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Armenia, and Aruba, with each nation occupying separate sections on the vessel waving flags, dancing, and capturing videos with their phones.
Lady Gaga surprises at the opening ceremony
Lady Gaga made an unexpected appearance at the opening ceremony, singing in French.
Although she was not listed on the official guide distributed to the media beforehand, her performance was highly anticipated after being spotted in Paris leading up to the ceremony.
The singer-actor is expected to spend much of the summer in Europe. Organizers of the Venice Film Festival recently announced that her film “Joker: Folie à Deux” would compete at the festival starting Aug. 28.
Jill Biden attends opening ceremony, takes her own photos
U.S. First Lady Jill Biden captured photos from a viewing area as the opening ceremony commenced. Earlier on Friday, she met with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, at the Elysee palace. She also paid a visit to some U.S. athletes after arriving in Paris on Thursday.
A moment for South Africa
Caitlin Rooskrantz, South Africa’s first gymnast to be a flag bearer, led her country’s delegation. This honor came three years after she became one of the first two women of color to represent South Africa in gymnastics. She expressed that the nomination holds significant importance for her, South African gymnastics, and her nation.
Greece makes first appearance ahead of Paris Olympics
A plume of blue, white, and red smoke, representing the French flag, rose above the Austerlitz Bridge, marking the start of the opening ceremony. This drew a massive roar from spectators gathered along the riverbanks. Greece, with 101 athletes, entered first, with basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo carrying the country’s flag.
Helicopters monitoring the opening ceremony route
At least three helicopters were seen flying near the route of the opening ceremony along the Seine River, moments before the parade started. Some stands were filled with spectators just before the event began.
Opening ceremony commences with a hush — and Zidane
As the bridge near Notre Dame fell silent, a helicopter’s blades could be heard in the distance. All eyes were fixed on the screens set up along the Seine. Soccer legend Zinedine Zidane appeared on the screen to applause, signaling the start of the ceremony.
The Paris Olympics opening ceremony has now officially started!
Spectators, waving French national flags, are gathered along the Seine riverfront in Paris, France, to witness the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics. Estimated to be one of the most watched television events worldwide, the ceremony has commenced in Paris.
The show is expected to last about three hours, but past experience suggests that timeframe may be underestimated.
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